| Mormon.org mormon.org The video player could not be built. Retry Do you want to chat with a missionary? We are happy to answer any questions you may have. Name I'm a Mormon. About Me Brandon Flowers is the frontman of the rock band The Killers. In 2010, he also released a solo album entitled Flamingo. In late 2001, Brandon Flowers responded to an ad that Dave Keuning had placed in a local paper and they formed The Killers. Since then, Brandon has performed with Bruce Springsteen, U2, Coldplay, Pet Shop Boys, Lady Gaga, Fran Healy (of Travis), Andy Summers (of The Police), New Order, Bright Eyes, and others. Sir Elton John has listed Flowers as one of his top-five heroes. Brandon's solo album, Flamingo, charted in the UK on September 12, 2010 at Number 1. This was Brandon's fourth consecutive album to reach #1 on the UK charts, including work by The Killers. Brandon is currently working with The Killers on their new album to be released in early 2012.

Brandon was born June 21, 1981 in Henderson, Nevada, the youngest of six kids. Brandon moved to Utah when he was eight years old, then later moved back to Las Vegas, where he lives today. On August 2, 2005, Brandon married his longtime girlfriend Tana Mundkowsky. They have three sons: Ammon, Gunnar, and Henry. Brandon Flowers of The Killers performing in Melbourne, Australia, in 2010. Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images Today in Slate, Christopher Hitchens writes about the “weird and sinister belief system” of Mormonism; among the religion’s troubling attributes, Hitchens claims, is that its followers “can be ordered to turn upon and shun any members who show any signs of backsliding.” William Saletan, meanwhile, argues that the church’s adherents are a more diverse bunch than Hitchens gives them credit for, citing the differences between Mitt Romney, Jon Huntsman, and Harry Reid—as well as a New York Times story from yesterday about Romney’s past as a church leader . Not “all Mormons are alike,” Saletan writes.

Last week the campaign released a video from someone a little better known: Brandon Flowers, lead singer of The Killers , a Las Vegas-based rock band that has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide : The video hews closely to the campaign’s usual formula: Flowers talks about himself, then about his values, and then he connects those values to his Mormon faith. Near the end, Flowers talks a bit about his public persona: “A lot of people love to come up to me and tell me they were raised in the church,” Flowers says, “and they expect there to be this camaraderie of, oh, we’ve outgrown it now, we’re smart enough now to not be in it.” One can understand why this would happen: In 2004, Spin identified Flowers as an ex-Mormon , and he has been candid in the past about his drinking and smoking , activities forbidden for devout members of the Mormon church. But as the existence of this video suggests, Flowers doesn’t see himself as an ex-Mormon, at least not anymore.

(If he did, he could have participated in a different video campaign .) What’s interesting about this is the way Flowers frames his re-affirmed faith: “I was raised in it,” he says, “and I still... it’s...” He chuckles. “There’s still a fire burning in there.” That’s the last thing he says before the more standard send-off: “I’m a father, and I’m a husband, and I’m a Mormon.” Coverage of the “I’m a Mormon” ad campaign has generally focused on the new way the Mormon church was presenting itself to the outside world. But as someone who grew up Mormon and left the church in college , I am more intrigued by how the campaign presents Mormons to themselves. John Dehlin, a progressive Mormon who runs a podcast called Mormon Stories , suggested to ABC News that the videos in many ways present a more tolerant and inclusive picture of the church than many Mormons experience; that seems right to me. And some may see that as duplicitous—perhaps fairly so. But by allowing individuals to claim the identity of Mormons for themselves, and tell their own stories, the campaign could, one imagines, actually begin to alter ideas within the church about what it means to be Mormon.

Among the hundreds of personal narratives that have been uploaded to mormon.org are several written by gay Mormons , and at least one by someone who is black, bisexual, and Mormon . Now, given the church’s history on the subject of race and its policies regarding gay marriage , why would anyone who is both black and bisexual choose to be Mormon? I have no idea. But, thanks to this ad campaign, you can, on a website owned and operated by the Mormon church, read someone else’s explanation. Mormon Singers | List of LDS Musicians 19 Musicians and Singers Who Are Mormon 37k views 19 items tags f t p @ Several famous vocalists and frontmen are members of the Mormon faith. Some of these Mormon musicians were raised in the church and others are still active in the Mormon religion today. A few famous Mormon singers even went on multi-year missions for the church. Who is the most famous Mormon singer? Gladys Knight tops our list. She reportedly joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the late 1990s. "There Is a Green Hill Far Away" is her favorite hymn. Marie Osmond is a practicing Mormon.

She said, "The God that I believe in is a God of love, not fear." Several famous male vocalists are also Mormon. The Killers frontman, Brandon Flowers, is a devout Mormon. In an interview with NPR, he pointed out that his home town of Las Vegas, NV was settled by Mormons. Win and Will Butler of Arcade Fire fame were raised by a Mormon mother. Other famous Mormon singers include Lindsey Stirling, Gary Allan, and Alex Boye. Do you think that their faith helped these Mormon bands and singers to succeed in the music business? Take a look at this list and get in on the conversation in the comments section. Urban Dictionary: brandon flowers brandon flowers The incredibly talented lead singer, synth player, and lyricist for the Killers. Born into a Mormon family on June 21, 1981 in Las Vegas , Nevada, Flowers was the youngest of six children. His father worked in produce and his mother stayed at home. Flowers has said his older brother Shane was responsible for his acquaintance with the music that would later inspire him, such as the Smiths , the Cure , David Bowie , the Beatles , Depeche Mode and New Order .

When Flowers was about 9 years old, his family moved to Nephi, Utah; however, Flowers moved back to Vegas to live with an aunt as a teenager. He struggled with being "the chubby kid" in high school but eventually acclimated more to his peers and developed a great skill for golf, and even considered going pro. He gave up golf when his car, carrying his golf clubs, was stolen. Flowers graduated high school, but dropped out of college. In his late teens, Flowers worked various jobs, mainly at casinos. such as the Gold Coast, as a busboy or bellman. He joined the band "Blush Response" as a synth player but left the group when it insisted upon his moving to Los Angeles. In 2002, shortly after experiencing a moving Oasis concert, Flowers answered an ad placed in the newspaper by future Killers guitarist Dave Keuning. They met, clicked, and wrote the chorus to future hit "Mr. Brightside" that day. Later, members Mark Stoermer and Ronnie Vanucci joined. The Killers were initially signed to indie label Lizard King in London where they met their initial success. After some buzz developed, American label Island Records signed the group.

Flowers has transitioned from being an extremely shy and reserved frontman to an extremely confident and flamboyant one. At the beginning of his career, Flowers admitted to having to drink in order to conquer his stage fright, but he eventually realized that this was counter-productive to his stage performance. Through careful study of stage masters such as David Bowie and Morrissey , Flowers has become one of the most captivating performers of his day. His style is characterized by grandiose hand gestures which can often be described as his "taming the music" as one tames a lion. He often engages in boylove with Keuning, during which he touches Dave's chest or wraps his arm around his kneck from behind. Another rare, but signature move, is the branbot which occurs at the end of Andy, You're a Star and resembles the robot . Other Brandon Flowers trademarks include guyliner and his rhinestone-studded synthesizer. Flowers is extremely well-known for his fashion sense and his love of Dior jackets, namely two pink ones. He has acquired many musical admirers such as Morrissey , Elton John , Bono , and David Bowie . He can frequently be seen with a twinkie and coca-cola in hand.

Flowers is a practicing Mormon but is rather tolerant and modern. He most likely votes Republican . Flowers has been known to drink alcohol and caffeine and smoke. He married his girlfriend of several years, Tana Munbkowsky, a convert to Mormonism, on August 2, 2005 in Hawaii. Overall, he is an incredibly sweet and talented individual even though he is known to speak his mind when it comes to other bands, such as the Bravery . He always has time for his fans. The lead singer, synth player, and lyricist of the Killers "I've always liked dressing up" "Dave was 27" - Brandon Flowers on when Dave lost his virginity "I'd had a little bit too much to drink and at one point I fell off the stage and nobody caught me. It was sad, it was a sad thing. And the boys kept playing..." Brandon on when he fell off stage. "I don't really have a slogan, per say, but I think people should be nicer to eachother. laughs I think bands should be nicer to eachother. I think everybody should be nicer to eachother. There you are.

Be nice." "I drive a Hyundai." "I always feel as though someone is staring at me." "It was just barely three years ago that I was driving and I heard him on the radio, and it changed everything. I took two classes in college before I realized that I just couldn't do it. I just left the last one and I heard Changes on the radio." Lead singer of popular rock band The Killers AND devout Mormon? | LDS Living Lead singer of popular rock band The Killers AND devout Mormon? Comments Most lead singers of rock bands don't ask the tour-bus driver to drop them off in Nauvoo, Ill., on cross-country tours. Most lead singers of rock bands aren't The Killers' Brandon Flowers, a proud and practicing member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "I had two days off, so I spent some time in Nauvoo with my nephew, a couple of crew members and the bus driver," said Flowers, whose progressive alt-rock band will stop at the E Center Sept.

26 as part of its tour supporting its fourth major-label album, "Day & Age." The Killers were created in 2002 in Las Vegas after Flowers responded to a newspaper ad looking for band members who counted Oasis, The Cure, U2 and The Beatles as influences. Flowers, the singer and keyboard player, joined Dave Keuning (guitar, vocals), Mark Stoermer (bass guitar, vocals) and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. (percussion, drums), and the band gained a European following with its synth-pop-inspired sound. Read the rest of this story at sltrib.com More Brandon Flowers poses with his family in bizarre new advertising campaign to boost Mormon image | Daily Mail Online comments He is the frontman of a world-famous rock group, with thousands of female fans throwing themselves at his feet. But despite his super stardom, The Killers' star Brandon Flowers 'still has a fire burning' for his Mormon faith,and doesn't care who knows it. The happily married musician is the face of a new advertising blitz to 'educate the public' about the Mormon Church.

Scroll down for video Showman: World famous rock star Brandon Flowers is also a Mormon PR campaign: Brandon Flowers is the face of a new advertising blitz to 'educate the public' about the Mormon Church. New footage showing the pop star with his three sons and his wife Tana, forms part of a collection of promotional films on the website mormon.org. In the never-seen-before video, Flowers extols the importance of having a family at a young age, one of the pillars of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints. The lead singer, who hails from Las Vegas, also discusses the hardship of leaving his family behind when he's touring. He explains: 'I get in arguments with our booking agent if he puts us out on the road too long. You know I don't want to miss out on things.' Wrench: In the video Flowers discusses the hardship of leaving his family behind when he's touring. The timely PR campaign comes in the wake of a vitriolic outpouring of hatred towards Mormonism, as the race between GOP candidates, two of whom are Mormon, has got under way.

Opinion polls have shown that large blocs of Americans have negative feelings towards Mormons, often linked to the religion's historic links to polygamy. RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share One in five Americans said they would oppose a Mormon president, a Gallup poll in June showed. Although there has never been a Mormon president, two of the Republican candidates Romney and are from the church. Central tenet: Having a large family is central to Mormonism The church is now battling to dispel misconceptions about its faith and community practices. The most common myth is that Mormons are not Christians. 'This will help them understand that we follow Jesus Christ,' Hawkins told Reuters. Last month Rick Perry supporter waded into the GOP debate categorising the Mormon church as a cult. Family man: The timely PR campaign comes in the wake of a vitriolic outpouring of hatred towards Mormonism Perry supporter, Robert Jeffress, pastor of a Baptist mega-church in Dallas, told reporters at the Values Voters Summit in Washington, D.C., that Mormonism was a 'cult'. Perry himself has said that he doesn't think of Mormonism as a cults.

If the church can get their message across it could galvanise the all important youth vote, and swing the vote in favour of Romney. Flowers is an icon to thousands of young people and the realisation that one of their heroes is a practising Mormon could really boost public image of the religion. Fans sometimes think, wrongly, that Flowers must have left Mormonism to pursue his career in rock music. Baby Daddy: Flowers poses with adorable baby Henry, eight months, in the church's new video Model family: Opinion polls have shown that large blocs of Americans have negative feelings towards Mormons, often linked to the religion's historic links to polygamy He explains in the video: 'A lot of people love to come up to me and tell me they were raised in the church. 'And they expect there to be this camaraderie about oh we've outgrown it we're smart enough now to not be in it. 'It started happening so often that it really made me take a look at myself. And I realised I was raised in it and there's still a fire burning in there.' Happily families: The most common myth about the Church is that Mormons are not Christians. Naturally there are conflicts, Flowers explains.

'There are a lot of connotations that come along with pop music and rock music, and its usually sex driven or money driven. 'I realised early on that wasn't the road for me, maybe because of the foundations that were laid early on, or my mum and dad taking me to church.' But as he has grown older the pop musician says he has only grown closer to his faith. He explained: 'I've definitely even as I've gotten older gotten more cautious about lyrics. I feel like I want to be a positive force in the world and I want to uplift people.' Superstar: Flowers with his The Killers bandmates Mormon Rock Stars Mormon Rock Stars Rolling in Vegas with Brandon Flowers, the biggest, most insecure Mormon rock star ever BRIAN HIATT rOLLING sTONE MAGAZINE Posted Dec 25, 2008 8:30 AM Brandon Flowers is having trouble explaining himself. Maybe it's because nothing about him adds up: a couture-wearing synth-pop fanatic who wants to be Bruce Springsteen; a devout Mormon who sings in a decadent Las Vegas rock band.

Maybe it's because when Flowers talks, he tends to get in trouble ï¿½ like when he bragged that Sam's Town, the previous album from his band, the Killers, was "one of the best albums in the last 20 years" before anyone heard it. Or maybe it's because, as the Killers prepare to release their third album, Day & Age, he's still not sure what kind of band they are. "Every day, I change," says Flowers. "One day I want to be dead serious, and the next I just want to write great pop songs and have fun. I don't have any kind of clear direction. I don't know if I'd want to." He sighs. "I don't even know why people want to talk to me." Flowers is sitting at the empty bar of a steakhouse tucked inside the Four Queens Hotel and Casino, a low-rolling Vegas spot across the street from the Killers' rehearsal space. He's brought two beverages with him: a Crystal Geyser water and the remains of a Coke Slurpee.

Every aspect of his appearance is arranged with OCD perfection: The sleeves of his red plaid shirt are rolled with military precision; his two-day stubble roughens his baby face just so; his mussed brown hair looks like he has it cut and styled twice a day. But he's talking in the halting cadences of a nervous teenager, batting away too-tough queries with an incongruous, childlike giggle. He struggles to answer a simple question: What does he mean by the line that provides his album title, "I want the new day and age," in the song "Neon Tiger"? "It means, I want a new day and age ï¿½ I think that things could be better," Flowers says, then pauses for nearly 10 seconds, looking down at the table. "I don't feel like I'm allowed to say some of the things that I feel." Why? "I'm too handsome." Day & Age, produced by Madonna collaborator Stuart Price, is a lot more fun than the Springsteen-meets-Queen bombast of Sam's Town.

As bassist Mark Stoermer puts it, "It's all over the place" ï¿½ but in a good way, from the quirky synth-and-horns pop of "Losing Touch" to the Disintegration-era Cure-style album closer, "Good Night, Travel Well." "This album isn't trying to be anything," Flowers says. "We have so many influences, and we don't want to be tied down or branded." Flowers grew up on New Wave and synth-pop bands ï¿½ Duran Duran, the Cure, Depeche Mode, the Smiths ï¿½ but as an adult, he's become more passionate about American roots rock, particularly Springsteen, Tom Petty and Tom Waits. "Hot Fuss [the band's 2004 debut] was synthetic," says Flowers, 27. "Even if it was heartfelt, it had a sheen on it, and I think it's kind of a mask that we put on ï¿½ it's like how the Strokes were dirty rock & rollers coming from more well-to-do places. We came from the opposite end and put on suits.

But when I hear Tom Waits or I hear 'Thunder Road,' you know, it makes me want to put boots on, play piano and drive a '57 Chevy." In New York a week later, Flowers is less tongue-tied. Last time, he was agitated about rehearsals for their tour, but now they've successfully completed their first couple of shows. Flowers has spent the past few hours in his hotel room watching the 1984 Jeff Bridges flick Starman, which he deems "real touching." He brightens further when discussing his wife, Tana, and his 18-month-old son, Ammon. "I don't want to go more than a couple of weeks, maybe three weeks, without seein' 'em," he says. "Ammon's starting to get a personality now. It's hard. I cried like a baby when I left the airport yesterday." Sitting in a Japanese restaurant, Flowers makes a case for the neglected genius of Oingo Boingo. "They're so underrated ï¿½ it borders on insanity," he says, gesturing furiously. "People just don't understand. They only know 'Weird Science,' or maybe Dead Man's Party.

They ride this line of, like, ska and punk and everything, but it's not ska and it's not punk. And it's crazy. Get Best of Boingo. I'm serious." Flowers' mother is a housewife and his father worked in a grocery store; they raised him outside Las Vegas, and later in Nephi, Utah (he moved back to Vegas when he was 16). Flowers shares a hardscrabble background with Springsteen ï¿½ his father was an alcoholic until he converted to Mormonism when Flowers was five. "My parents are my connection to, you know, my romantic America," says Flowers, who on the new song "A Dustland Fairytale" describes his father as "some kind of slick chrome American prince." "My dad always had old cars, and he taught me all about them." But unlike Bruce, or basically any rock star ever, Flowers is a practicing Mormon. He goes to church, and his wife, a schoolteacher and former manager of a Vegas Urban Outfitters, converted to the faith before they wed in 2005. They named Ammon after a missionary in the Book of Mormon.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints frowns on drugs, alcohol and premarital sex, but for a while, Flowers was drinking and partying hard on the road. Two years ago, around the time of the release of Sam's Town, he stopped. "I think I probably feel less guilt, and I'm also healthier than I've ever been," says Flowers. He's hazy on what led to his change, except to say, "My wife being pregnant and all that really put things into perspective. But there is an element of fun that I miss out on," Flowers says, with some wistfulness. Flowers voted for Obama, but his politics have often seemed to lean right: He has expressed sympathy for George W. Bush in the past, and he criticized Green Day for singing "American Idiot" overseas. And he worries out loud that America is turning away from religion. "In England, the press treat [religious believers] like you believe in Santa Claus, and it's turning that way in America," he says, with obvious disapproval. Flowers' faith in his band is equally fervent: He recently suggested the Killers could become bigger than U2, and he thinks his best songwriting is still to come.

"I feel like I've got to constantly write songs," he says. "I could go up to my hotel room right now and ï¿½ y'know, I still want to write an 'Imagine.' It's not impossible to me, as much as everyone would like to say it is." Despite the six years they've been together, there's something odd about the Killers' offstage chemistry ï¿½ they don't have much of it. They look and act like they're in four different bands, and their interaction is more like that of colleagues than pals. "We're becoming friends," says Flowers. "We're still learning about each other. We've only known each other for about as long as this band's been around." But as different as they may be, these guys are united by their oversize ambition: The band, which started with guitarist Dave Keuning's and Flowers' jam sessions in 2002, established goals from the beginning. "I remember asking Brandon, 'So you want to be big, right?' And he's like, 'Yeah,' " says Keuning.

(According to Day & Age producer Price, Flowers and Madonna have more than a little in common: "There's a drive and determination that those two have," he says, "where it's kind of 'succeed by any means necessary.' ") Drummer Ronnie Vannucci studied percussion in college, and he has the session-dude chops to nail the pulsing dance beat of the new album's lead single, "Human." Keuning is the designated oddball ï¿½ he's so spacey that he's actually saving money to book a trip on Virgin's first commercial space flights. His eyes sometimes appear to be moving in opposite directions, and he insists the band's "Born to Run" homage, "When You Were Young," sounds nothing like Springsteen. ("He's so weird, but he's so good," says Vannucci.) With his Brian May curls, Keuning also has the most old-school-rock look of the four ï¿½ he keeps his hair long because he wasn't allowed to in his various pre-Killers day jobs. "Every day, I'm just thankful I don't have to get up and go to Banana Republic at six in the morning and open boxes of clothes," he says.

The combination of Flowers' brashness with the group's tendency to overreach somehow makes his band all the more fascinating. His most famous lyric ï¿½ "I've got soul, but I'm not a soldier," from the Hot Fuss song "All These Things That I've Done" ï¿½ is unforgettably catchy, but also a baffling non sequitur. The ungrammatical chorus of "Human" ("Are we human, or are we dancer") is just as impenetrable. Flowers is irritated that people don't quite seem to get the lyric, and that fans were unhappy with the song's dance beat. "It's supposed to be a dance song, it goes with the chorus," he says. "If you can't put that together, you're an idiot. I just don't get why there's a confusion about it." Flowers knows he's inviting more mockery with a key song on the new album, the Bowie-esque "Neon Tiger," which reads like a self-aggrandizing fable. "Took to the spotlight like a diamond ring. . . ./Don't you let them tame you/You're far too pure and bold," Flowers sings, with maximum drama.

But recently Flowers got some reassurance from one of his heroes: He talked with Bruce Springsteen backstage at an L.A. arena. "I was scared to death, with all the dust that was kicked up about Sam's Town," Flowers says. "And he just eased my mind and gave me such a boost of confidence. And he was ï¿½ he's perfect. He's unbelievable, you know? He was way nicer than he needed to be. He talked about how undeniable the first record was. And I brought up my concerns about it all, and, you know, he said he dealt with the same thing with Bob Dylan." In New York, the Killers walk onstage at Hammerstein Ballroom in front of thousands of superpsyched fans, from 10-year-old kids to boogieing housewives. Toward the end of the show, Flowers stands on the monitor speakers and spreads his arms in a messianic, Bono-esque pose, as the crowd shouts along with the coda from "All These Things That I've Done": "I've got soul, but I'm not a soldier." Flowers lifts his microphone stand with his right hand and pumps it in the air to Vannucci's beat.

He repeats his line, again and again, with as much passion as he's got: "I've got soul, but I'm not a soldier." It sounds great. And for a moment, you could almost believe it means something. Brandon Flowers interview - Telegraph Rock and Pop Features Brandon Flowers interview He prefers prayer to partying, and family barbecues to booze. But in every other respect the multi-million selling Mormon frontman of the Killers is the consummate rock star. Brandon Flowers, lead singer of the Killers Photo: Williams + Hirakawa By Craig McLean 11:19AM BST 12 Oct 2010 Las Vegas, September 2006. It’s the month before the release of the Killers’ second album, Sam’s Town; two hours before a homecoming gig at the Empire Ballroom. The album will go on to shift a hefty chunk of the band’s career-total 15 million sales and win the four-piece two Brit Awards (Best International Group and International Album). But right now Brandon Flowers is talking about Mormonism, Coke and coke.

Brandon Flowers performs with Lady Gaga and the Pet Shop Boys at the Brit Awards in 2009 'A lot of people think polygamy is involved,’ the frontman and main songwriter with the Springsteen-does-disco band is saying of his religion, 'and it’s not. [Or that] you can’t drink Coke – that we think we’re gonna go to hell if we drink Pepsi. You’re not supposed to drink alcohol.’ I tell him I’ve seen him drink alcohol. 'I try not to,’ he replies with a grin. But it’s difficult for him, in every sense. 'Bob Dylan said it best – you can’t be Jewish and be cool. And you can’t be a Mormon and be cool! But I’m trying my best!’ His job – leading one of the fastest-rising rock bands in the world – regularly presents him with moral quandaries. 'I’m starting to get more comfortable with it. I’m a man and I’m attracted to women. You read about, and you have that fascination with, the drugs. There’s a certain level that we’re kinda expected to debaucherise [sic], I guess! It’s expected of us, almost.’ London, August 2008.

It’s two months before the release of Day & Age, the Killers’ third studio album. Here in Olympic Studios, their ambitious singer is trying to finish Goodnight, Travel Well, which is planned to be the album’s final song. It’s a tribute to guitarist Dave Keuning’s mother, who recently died, and to Flowers’ mother, who has a brain tumour. 'Oh, it’s a heartbreaker,’ he says with some pride. 'It just rips your guts out.’ His mother, he adds, is responding 'really well to the chemo and the radiation so far’. Related Articles Cliff Richard, Albert Hall 12 Oct 2010 Verona, July 2009. Nine months after its release, the hard-working Killers are only halfway through the world tour in support of Day & Age. Tonight, they play in a 2,000-year-old Italian amphitheatre. Tomorrow, they head back to Las Vegas for an eight-day break. The birth of Flowers’ and his wife’s second baby is imminent. With a young and growing family, he needs to work out how long he can keep up this work-rate and these distances.

'I have seen interviews with kids whose dads did what I do, and they all seem to be resentful. I don’t want that. But I also feel like I’ve been given this opportunity.’ Mormons value the closeness of family bonds as, I point out, do many faiths. 'Yes, but ours is slightly different – we believe in being together forever. Eternity.’ Chicago, August 2010. Flowers is three dates into his first solo tour in support of his first solo album, Flamingo. The arenas, stadia and festival-headline slots to which the Killers are now accustomed have been replaced by theatres. Some of the band's road crew are with him, but for the time being he’s working with new musicians. 'For the most part it’s like going backwards,’ he admits. 'It’s weird getting these nerves that I haven’t had for five or six years. Nerves about playing smaller venues, people not knowing the material…’ Late last year, as the Killers approached the end of the Day & Age tour – after pretty much seven years of back-to-back recording, performing and travelling – Flowers decided he wanted to keep going. He’d written a bunch of new songs while on tour.

His band mates told him to hop it, they were going home, to do their laundry, watch television, hang with their friends and family. Be ordinary, and stationary, for a while. Flowers took a scant four weeks off then ploughed on regardless, recording Flamingo in Las Vegas and Los Angeles with a dream-team of super-producers: Stuart Price (Madonna), Brendan O’Brien (Springsteen) and Daniel Lanois (U2). Then, tour time. He told his wife he was leaving her holding the babies, again. 'Yeah!’ he says with the gurgly, yuck-yuck laugh with which he says most things. 'Two toddlers, and another one on the way. Due in February. But,’ he adds hastily, 'I want to wrap this [solo tour] up by Christmas.’ For this slight but charismatic, drop-dead-handsome 29 year-old who can command a stadium or festival crowd with compelling ease, the laugh is a self-defence mechanism. Almost every sentence, no matter how dark the subject matter, is delivered with a chuckle, or a peculiar gasp.

The same function is performed by his interview posture: ramrod straight in his chair, arms folded tightly across his chest. I’ve met him many times over the years and have only ever seen him relaxed onstage. Today, even sitting on a leather sofa in his windowless dressing room at Chicago’s Park West theatre, his posture is that of a man about to be water-boarded. Still, for all his physical stiffness, Flowers can’t help but spill. The baby of the family – he’s the youngest of six – and raised by his God-fearing mother with a strict moral code, he’s too nice not to. On tour in Europe last summer, the Killers had two tour buses. The 'party bus’ was dubbed Welcome to the Jungle, after the Guns N’ Roses song. Flowers’ bus was called James Taylor, after the earnest, none-more-gentle Seventies folky. There are, he reports, no such affectations on this year’s more stripped-back solo tour. 'But I’ve grown tired of downtown America,’ he says in a way that manages to be both understated and bombastic, 'and that’s where you tend to go on days off.

So I’ve started to go to national parks and campgrounds on days off. And I’m barbecuing. And instead of running on a treadmill, I’m running out in nature. It makes it all worthwhile for me. On the way here we went to Lake Tahoe, and it was just beautiful. Went and did a hike. Jumped in the lake. It’s kinda like going back in time. Stuff that it seems like you only see in movies. And it’s been a breath of fresh air.’ This impulse, he acknowledges, has been of a piece with this vision for his solo album. The first Killers album, 2004’s Hot Fuss, betrayed teenage Anglophile and mascara-wearer Flowers’ love of the Cure, the Smiths and Pet Shop Boys. Sam’s Town saw them evoking the widescreen Americana of Springsteen, Joshua Tree-era U2 and their home state. Day & Age, produced by Stuart Price, was again more dance/pop oriented. With Flamingo, this son of the desert – raised in Vegas and in a Mormon community in deepest Utah – wanted to reboot himself. To plug himself back into the heart of the United States and its near-mythic archetypes.

The result is a brilliant, impassioned album that has hints of country and western, touches of gospel and shades of Eighties power-pop. In his solo concerts, he’s covering Kim Carnes’ FM classic Bette Davis Eyes, and singing a snatch of Elvis Presley’s Are You Lonesome Tonight? A man with a keen eye for showmanship and fashion, his 'look’ on this tour is designed to evoke 'the spirits of Marlon Brando and Paul Newman’. Though this appears to mean simply wearing a waistcoat and a grandad shirt. And hiring a personal trainer – shake this erstwhile weed’s hand these days and his grip is iron-like. 'I did want to dig into some of the western elements of my influences. I grew up hearing Johnny Cash and Elvis from my dad. Stuff I’ve grown to love now. And so it was nice to explore that. It’s all around me in Las Vegas, too. And growing up in Utah there was always a cowboy culture. That’s always surrounded me and I always have a little bit of a fondness for it.’ For this self-confessed old-fashioned twentysomething, he thinks the roots of American culture, its country music and pioneer spirit, are lost in modern music.

'Especially in popular modern music. It seems so distant. And especially the meat and potatoes of those songs – the simplicity of those songs is lost now to the beats and the bleeps,’ he says with the weary distaste of an old codger. Flowers grew up surrounded largely by cacti and desert. He loved the open space, the freedom. But he also loved the lights and thrills of Las Vegas. He moved there when he was 16 and worked as a bellhop in one of the hotel/casinos. His enduring love affair with Vegas, its gambling and its vice, is reflected in Flamingo’s opening song, Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas ('cocaine and lady luck give us your dreams your heartaches and your sin’). But with this fascinatingly schizophrenic rock star, faith is never far away. He says that he realised after the fact that 'there’s a lot of religious imagery going through Flamingo’. Wholly holy pragmatist that he is, he understands that any overt hint of God-squad-rock would compromise his band’s cool and, worse, their sales. But in a solo album 'maybe I felt free to be more open about it’.

When I ask him about the Johnny Cash-like On The Floor – 'I found myself on my knees, begging please’ – he initially struggles to get the words out, before eventually declaring, 'one of the things I’m most thankful that I got from my mother was that she taught me how to pray. And that communication that I have every day. And the benefits that I feel like I receive from it. I’m very thankful for that. And so I think that reflecting on that is where that song came from.’ Does he pray on his knees? 'Yes. And I was always taught to pray in the morning and at night. Sometimes I’ll only do one,’ he smiles guiltily. 'But I do notice a difference – whether it’s mental or whatever it is, I notice an optimism in my day if I’ve started with a prayer.’ If he’s 'in a place where I can’, Flowers prays out loud. 'But I don’t believe you have to.’ It’s a very personal and intimate kind of therapy, he agrees, one that liberates him.

None the less, last year he told the Tribune newspaper in Salt Lake City – the Mormon faith’s heart, the capital city of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – 'my faith influences the songs I don’t write’. What did he mean by that? 'Yes!’ That gasp-laugh again. 'Uh, I’ve often, I do, you know, we’ve all got our ... hah...’ He’s squirming. 'I definitely have a darker side. And a more sinister, maybe more sexual, being inside me that I think everybody’s got. 'And I believe that because of what I believe, and because of the way that I was raised, and as I’ve got older, I’ve leant towards – I’ve pushed towards being that positive force that I always talk about. That’s kind of where I’d rather be. I know that it’s not…’ He stops and gathers his thoughts. 'I know it’s frowned upon in art to put a muzzle on something. But I definitely do it.’ This harks back to Flowers’ most famous line and one of the Killers’ most famous songs.

Crowds around the world have roared along to the declamatory high point of All These Things That I Have Done: 'I’ve got soul but I’m not a soldier’. In writing it the singer was acknowledging the struggles he had sticking to the strictures of his faith. But now it seems he’s resolved that on one level. Whereas many musicians use songs for exactly this purpose, Flowers won’t give vent to his baser feelings in song. 'Yes,’ he nods. 'So it’s a struggle. I wonder if it’s legit. But I can’t help but go for the good I guess. Especially after having children – I think, what kind of mark do I wanna leave? For the most part, that’s the person that I am. I think I’m a positive and optimistic person.’ His mother died at the beginning of this year. He cancelled an Asian tour to be with her on her deathbed. It was the second time he’d had to cancel a tour there. It was, he admits, a wrench. 'I don’t remember the excuse last time. But this one was a good excuse!

It was a strange feeling to be in this position – “I know I’m cancelling it because I feel strongly about being there with my mother. But she may not die”. And I had that weight: “I’m holding off money and possibly the expansion of the band”. The success of my band in Asia basically was gambling [sic] on this. And I’ve got three other guys and a whole crew that are depending on this. And I’m just making this decision.’ So, in a terrible way, he was waiting for his mother to die? 'Yes. You don’t want her to, but…’ He shakes his head. 'It was just a weird set of pushes and pulls. But she did die during that time I would have been in Asia. So it was the right decision.’ Did he go back on tour afterwards? 'Yeah,’ he shoots back, in a manner that says, 'of course I did.’ London, September 2010. It’s three days after the release of Flamingo. There’s a celebratory air at the small Garage club in north London, where Flowers is performing a 'secret’ gig that happens to be packed to the rafters.

Whereas he looked tense and tentative onstage in Chicago, tonight he’s grinning from ear to ear, blinding white smile on full display, and sweating from the first song. The ladies in the crowd voice their pleasure, loudly. New songs like Crossfire and Jilted Lovers and Broken Hearts, meanwhile, already sound like anthems. No wonder he’s happy: Flamingo is currently No 1 in the UK album charts (a position it will maintain at week’s end). For the success-hungry family man who’s long coveted a spot on rock’s top pedestal alongside U2 and Radiohead, it’s another step in the right direction. His desire to make stadium-filling, spirit-enhancing rock is, perhaps, within his grasp. 'I’m getting closer,’ he had said in Chicago. 'It’s undeniable: I love pop music, I’m a pop tart.

But the Killers as a band, we do have an edge, and we have a bombast about us and we have the capacity for doing something great – I still think that’s in us.’ This, he conceded, was another reason that he had embarked on what may have seemed like vainglorious folly: a solo album, hot on the heels of three band albums and in the midst of the quick-fire expansion of his brood. If he took his foot off the pedal and started changing nappies, Flowers feared what the hiatus might do to his beloved band’s momentum. And to his cherished dreams of planet-rattling success. 'Its part of it,’ he nods vigorously. 'I do feel like I’m carrying the Killers torch up there. And I’m bettering myself. And hopefully I become a better frontman and a better performer, hopefully I can apply that to the next Killers record. And we’ll just be all the better for it.’ Go tell it on the mountain: a rock messiah is born. Brandon Flowers’ UK tour begins on October 12 in Glasgow; 18 Mormon Rock/Pop Stars Your Post Has Been Launched! Fabulous!

Don't forget to share with your friends on Twitter and Facebook. 18 Mormon Rock/Pop Stars Mormon rock/pop stars? Whaaat? Can the two even exist in the same sentence? Apparently so. In fact, it’s kind of strangely exciting how many of them are suddenly popping up. juliec48 Community User This post was created by a user and has not been vetted or endorsed by BuzzFeed's editorial staff. BuzzFeed Community is a place where anyone can post awesome lists and creations. Learn more or post your buzz! 1. Brandon Flowers, Frontman of The Killers img2.timeinc.net Yup, he’s talented, he’s hot, he’s charismatic and he’s…Mormon? It’s true. Although he had a bit of a struggle in the past with smoking and alcohol (a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints no-no), he has opened a new chapter and has even made a mormon.org video. ID: 1639072 All four members are Mormon and proud of it. ID: 1639074 Frontman Win Butler and his brother, Will, were raised Mormon. Although Win no longer practices, some articles suggest Will still does.

ID: 1639077 American Idol contestant is so devout, he put his thriving career on hold to serve a two year LDS mission in Chile. ID: 1639079 tumblr.com This sexy bass player/back up vocalist is also a practicing Mormon. Note that lead singer/songwriter/guitarist/pianist Brendon Urie was also raised Mormon, but no longer attends church. However, the two respect each other’s lifestyle choices and according to The Cultural Hall podcast, have stimulating conversations on religion. ID: 1639088 The late bassist surprised everyone when he joined the church in 1989. ID: 1639095 Frontman Dan Reynolds (pictured second to right) and guitarist Wayne Sermon (far right) are both members of the church. In fact, both members attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. ID: 1639100 Scot Alexander of Dishwalla joined the church at 19, right before joining this popular ’90s band.

ID: 1639103 ’90s ska band frontman Christian Jacobs is the great grandson of prominent Mormon leader LeGrand Richards. Guitarist Ian Fowler and bassist Chad Larson are also active members of the church. ID: 1639112 Gladys joined the church following her son and daughter in 1997. ID: 1639117 Of course this list would not be complete without our old pals Donny and Marie Osmond. Brother and sister were both raised Mormon and are still practicing. ID: 1639120 Sorry, but you can only react up to 3 times! Oops! It looks like you've already used that reaction on this post. You are signed in as . I know, right? Will your friends agree? Share this Link 18 Mormon Rock/Pop Stars Mormon rock/pop stars? Whaaat? Can the two even exist in the same sentence? Apparently so. In fac... Your link was successfully shared! Promoted by

Question: The practicing Mormon, Brandon Flowers, is the lead singer of which American rock group?
Answer: THE KILLERS